On the largest island of Thailand - Phuket - there are many beautiful beaches. But the most popular are three: "Patong", "Karon" and "Kata". All of them stretched along the west coast. The first beach, "Patong", is a hit with party people. The number of entertainment establishments on the 6-kilometer strip of sand is off scale. As a result, the longest beach of Patong Island cannot be called clean. "Katu" is preferred by those who are looking for solitude and quiet relaxation.
In this article we will talk about the second largest beach in Phuket - Karon. Photos, reviews and tips from tourists will be given below. Let's see why "Karon" is called "Singing Sand"? Is it possible to stay there in a front line hotel?
Where is the beach and what is it like
A huge strip of light yellow, almost white, sand (at low tide its width reaches 70 m) stretches for as much as five kilometers. In reviews of Karon Beach (Thailand, Phuket), tourists often mention that it is located south of the city of Patong, but north of Kata. From the international airportseparated by 45 kilometers. And from the main city of the island, Phuket Town, the beach is 20 km away.
The shore itself is conditionally divided into two parts. In the north is Karon Noi Beach, that is, Small "Karon". But its entire territory is occupied by the Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort front-line hotel. It is unlikely that you will be able to go to the beach, despite the fact that Thailand has a law that declares access to all coasts free. But if you swim to it and settle on a towel, no one will tell you anything.
Big and Small "Karon" are separated only by a small cape. This last part of the beach stretches for three and a half kilometers and smoothly merges into Kata. The conditional boundary in the south is the richest coral reef in the sea and a low hill on the coast, at the foot of which there is a night market.
Who is Karon Beach for
Karon Noi Beach is fully reserved for guests of Le Meridien Hotel. It remains to find out the target audience of Karon Beach. In the reviews, tourists report that this coast is a kind of middle ground between too noisy and cheerful Patong and the quietest Kata. Moreover, the number of entertainment venues and vacationers decreases from north to south.
The border area with Kata was chosen by divers and snorkelers because of the rich coral reef. Families with children stay in the central part of Karon, and party-goers who like to combine sunbathing with fun on the water and coastal cafes stay in the northern part. A huge plus of "Karon" is not only its length, but also its width. At 50-70 meterseveryone will find a place for themselves under the sun. But the most significant feature, if not the uniqueness of the beach, is the "singing sand". Due to the high content of quartz, it creaks underfoot like snow in frost.
Characteristics of the water area
Karon Beach, unlike Kata, is not protected by offshore islands. Also, its line is not cut at all by capes and bays. Even in the hot high season, a slight westerly wind blows from the sea, but there are no crowds of tourists - tourists say in reviews of Karon Beach (Phuket). Photos confirm their words. The almost flat coastline can create problems for swimming. From time to time there are ebb currents. Rescuers mark places dangerous for swimming with a red flag. But the tides on the "Karon" are minimal.
Entry into the sea is quite smooth. This circumstance makes the beach suitable for bathing small children, although there are more shallow waters on Kata Beach. But swimmers don't have to walk a hundred meters until the water reaches the waist. The depth comes already after 10-15 meters from the shore. And, of course, one cannot fail to note the most beautiful coral reef in the southern part of Karon. The beach cover is also sandy. But you should be careful when entering the water, and preferably in special shoes, since the bottom is replete with fragments of corals and, in the evening, also with sea urchins.
Recreational infrastructure on Karon Beach
In the reviews, tourists say that the coastline from cafes and hotels of the so-called first line is separated by a road. The traffic on it is busy, so in hotelsthere is a special employee who regulates the passage of vehicles and passes pedestrians. But the road does not interfere with the rest. It runs 50 meters from the beach, and is separated from it by green plantings of palm trees and casuarina. But the natural shade - tourists warn - is less on Karon than on Katya. But there is an opportunity to stay on the green lawns.
The cleanliness of the singing sand is monitored by numerous attendants. Lifeguards are on duty from dawn to dusk and there is a first-aid post (in the central part). There are also sun loungers with umbrellas on Karon. Such a pleasure costs 200 baht (400 rubles) per day. But this is the price for the whole set (2 sunbeds and 1 umbrella). But with toilets and showers on Karon Beach (the reviews on this point are unanimous), not everything is as rosy as we would like. In the central part, you have to go across the road to a bar or cafe. There are free toilets and showers in the southern part of Karon, near the stadium and the police station, and in the northern part, near the lake.
When to go to Phuket
From December to April in Thailand is the high season, and there are a lot of tourists on the beaches. Karon is also crowded at this time, although not in the same way as in Patong. But it is in the heat that this beach has earned a lot of praise. As tourists note in reviews, Karon Beach is blown by a light western breeze, thanks to which the equatorial heat is easily tolerated. But in other periods, a smooth and open coast becomes not just uncomfortable, but even dangerous.
In the transitional seasons (November, May) on other beaches in Phuket, including neighboring Katya and Patong, people swim, and red ones hang on Karonflags. Do not ignore these warning signs, tourists say. High waves are not as scary as treacherous ebb currents. In the low season, it is better to find a beach on the eastern tip of the island. But even then there are days when there are no waves, and the water becomes clear. Then the rescuers hang out green, but more often yellow flags. At this time, schools of flying fish can be seen in the sea.
Karon beach hotels (Phuket): reviews of tourists
Le Meridien Beach Resort is not the only luxury five in these places. But the problem of living on "Karon" is that there are few hotels that really stand on the first line. So the “own beach”, stated on the hotel website, means a piece of coast reserved for guests across the road. In order to fully reveal the theme of Karon hotels, let's review them from north to south.
Very close to Patong is the "Centrara Grand Beach Resort", positioning itself as a place for family vacations. Next to this "five" perched a budget guesthouse for backpackers "In On The Beach". In general, as you can understand from the reviews, on the beach "Karon" hotels are located separately. And the first line is by no means occupied by five-star hotels, as on other coasts.
In the central part of the beach, all the hotels are located across the road. Therefore, tourists in the reviews are advised when choosing a hotel to focus not on the location, but on the services. It is quite noisy on the embankment, as bars, shops and massage parlors are concentrated there. Choose hotels,located in quiet streets between Patak and Karon Road.
Hotels in the central and southern parts of Karon
Not far from the lake there is a huge complex "Movenpick Resort and Spa". Also, the Hilton Phuket Arcadia occupies a large area in the center. These "five" are surrounded by cheaper, but no less worthy hotels, such as "The Old Phuket", "Karon Princess", "Baumankaza Beach", "Grand Sunset" and "Woraburi Resort". Do you really want to live on the first strip of Karon Beach? In the reviews, tourists recommend paying attention to its southern part. Here are located surrounded by greenery "Marina Phuket".
Has direct access to the sea and the adults-only hotel Biyand Karon. Tourists also praise hotels in this part of the beach: Karona Resort & Spa, Orizon Beach Resort, Andaman Seaview, Phuket Island View, Thavorn Palm Beach, Orchid and Baan. The advantage of living in the south of Karon is that you can walk along the edge of the sea to Kata in 10 minutes, where the sand does not creak, but there are many times fewer people.
Hotels away from the sea
Le Meridien, Hilton, Movenpick and other fives set the tone for Caron. Prices here are much higher than in Patong. Guesthouses should be booked six months in advance, and in the low season they are still full. The fact is that the open beach, on which serious waves walk in the summer, is popular with surfers. Therefore, many vacationers rent motorbikes and are looking for accommodation a little further from Karon Beach (Phuket). Tourist reviews contain useful information for otherstravelers information that on a high cliff, which serves as a conditional border with Kata, there is a beautiful hotel with a gorgeous view "Secret Cliff Villa Phuket".
Inexpensive housing can be found on the lake in the northern part of Karon. Here, tourists praise such hotels as the Best Western, Novotel and Chanalai Hillside chain hotels. Near the local temple are Ramada Phuket, Karon Sands Resort, Waterfront Suites, Ruxxa Design Hotel, Sugar Marina Art, Karon Whale Resort, Bamboo House and Rattana Hotel.
How to get to Karon
Many vacationers live in the budget and noisy Patong, and every morning they go to the clean Karon Beach. In the reviews of tourists, it is often mentioned that it is only a ten-minute drive from the main entertainment center in Phuket. But taxi drivers and tuk-tuk drivers, knowing about the popularity of the beach, break up considerable prices - 300 baht (600 rubles) at least. Alternatives to expensive transport are pickup trucks, which are called “songteos” here, and scheduled minivans.
But no one managed to find out the schedule of the latter, - tourists complain. This type of transport can be caught by waving your hand. If you do not know how to drive a bike (renting it will cost you 400 rubles per day, not counting gasoline), hire an auto rickshaw. This mode of transport is cheaper than a tuk-tuk. In addition, motorbikes are more maneuverable, and you will get out of Patong's traffic jams faster than a taxi. It is easy to get to Karon by your own or rented transport. You just need to move south. You will reach the beach in a quarter of an hour. No problems with parkingwill, tourists assure.
Entertainment at Karon
As mentioned above, this coast is the "golden mean" between too noisy Patong and cozy, quiet Kata. All youth hangouts are concentrated in the northern part of Karon Beach. In reviews of Phuket, tourists mention that it even has its own Bangla Road, with bars, go-go shows and transvestite performances. Farther south, the number of entertainment establishments decreases sharply. They remain only on the embankment.
The main entertainment in the south of "Karon" is meeting the sunset and leisurely walks along the edge of the sea. You can spend your family leisure time in Dino-Park. It is designed in the style of the cartoon about the Flintstones. Dinosaur sculptures rise everywhere, and animators dressed as the main characters of the animated film “live” in stone caves. Dino Park also has entertainment for adults - an 18-hole golf course.
Temple and Night Bazaar
Tourists in reviews of Karon Beach often oppose it to the village of the same name. It exists by its leisurely, so different from the resort area, life. There are not so many attractions in Karon Village, but, nevertheless, they are. These are the lake, the temple and the Night Bazaar. You can join Thai spirituality at Wat Suwan Kiriket. This temple is quite old, it was built in 1895. To go inside, you need to be appropriately dressed - with covered shoulders and knees. The administrative building of the “kuti” temple, the cells of the monks, the bell tower, two black andgold - Buddha statues, a stupa and a Nagami vihan decorated with green snakes.
Wat Suwan Kiriket rises on top of a hill. And at its foot, as soon as darkness descends, Night Baazar opens. In this evening market, you can not only buy cheap clothes and souvenirs, but also eat delicious food. In the northern part of Karon Beach there is a picturesque lake. Nobody swims in it. He althy Europeans and Thais go jogging there in the mornings, and restaurants set up tables with candles on the shore of the lake in the evenings.
Where to eat
If your hotel does not provide breakfast, you can pay for your morning meal at the Subway diner. By lunch time, the popcorns come out to the beach. These are women with a portable brazier who cook ordered dishes in front of the client - meat or seafood skewers, baked corn, fruit and vegetable salads. According to tourists in the reviews, in Thailand (Karon Beach is no exception), the products at the macaroons are always fresh. This is the most budget option. The cafe across the road from the beach is much more expensive.
In general, the prices for "Karona", let's face it, "bite". What you buy here for 100 baht (200 rubles) costs 70 (140) in neighboring Patong. In the evening, without any fear, you can dine at the evening market. Although there are tables set right by the side of the road and covered with oilcloth, the dishes are served fresh, tasty and inexpensive. There is also a cafe serving customers on the principle of "Pay entry and eat as much as you like." Look for such establishments in the area of the hotels "Orchid" and "OldPhuket. For those who serve cabbage soup and dumplings in Thailand, the Veranda restaurant operates at Karon. A romantic evening with a panoramic sea view and impeccable cuisine can be arranged for yourself in the restaurant "On the Rock" of the Marina Hotel.
Evening entertainment
According to the reviews, Karon Beach (Phuket) has an analogue of Bangla Road in Patong. This place is called "Wan Meng Soi" ("One Man's Lane"). But unencumbered by moral principles, Thai young ladies are found in any drinking establishment of Karon. Although among them there are decent places for evening leisure. In the Sports Bar you can watch matches on the big screen, in the Angus O’Tool’s pub you can listen to live music. Well, if this seems not enough for you, a tuk-tuk or songteo will take you to Patong in 10-15 minutes, where there are much more nightly entertainments.
